If your mind heavy right now, call 0809 111 6264 or 0811 168 0686 — the MANI mental health helpline Nigeria dey answer 24/7, and you no dey alone. MANI (Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative) na the free, confidential line wey Nigerians dey call when anxiety, depression, grief, or the weight of gambling debt don reach the point wey talking to another human being become the next necessary step. No form to fill, no ID to show, no waiting room.

This guide answer the questions people dey type into Google before dem ever pick up the phone: wetin be the exact number, e free or e go cost you data, e cover gambling wahala or na only “regular” mental health matter, wetin languages dem dey speak, how private the call really be, wetin STAN mean, and who else you fit try if the line busy.

Table of contents

MANI mental health helpline Nigeria — wetin be the number

MANI dey run two main lines: 0809 111 6264 and 0811 168 0686. Both dey answer round the clock — 24 hours, every day, no closing time, no public holiday exception. You fit reach MANI too through the referral form and other contact channels listed on mentallyaware.org, wey be the official site to confirm any detail before you rely on am.

The person wey go pick up your call na trained MANI volunteer or peer counsellor — somebody wey don go through the organisation’s mental health first-aid training, not a stranger reading from a script. That matter, because for many Nigerians, the first barrier no be finding a psychiatrist — na finding one voice wey go listen without judging first.

Save the number before you need am

The best time to save 0809 111 6264 and 0811 168 0686 for your phone na now, before crisis reach — the same way you go save “ICE” (in case of emergency) contact. If gambling losses, a bad accumulator, or mounting debt don already push you close to the edge, you no need wait for a “worse” moment to justify the call. Worry and shame dey enough reason.

MANI free to call?

Yes. Both MANI lines na free mental-health support — you no dey pay for the counselling itself, and there no be hidden subscription or follow-up charge after the call. The service run on donations and volunteer commitment, not on money wey caller dey provide.

Wetin fit still apply na your normal network airtime or data cost if you dey call from a line wey no get free-call arrangement with your provider, or if you reach MANI through an app-based channel instead of a direct call. Confirm current terms on mentallyaware.org if that concern you — but the counselling service on the other end no carry a bill.

I fit call MANI about gambling addiction?

Yes — gambling-related distress dey squarely within wetin MANI counsellors dey trained to handle. Betting harm rarely arrive alone: chasing losses, mounting debt, shame wey you dey hide from family, anxiety before a match, or suicidal thoughts after a devastating slip on an accumulator — all of dat fall inside the scope of the MANI mental health helpline Nigeria.

You no need be “bad enough” before you call. If you dey notice say betting don start controlling your mood, your sleep, or your money in a way wey scare you, that alone na enough reason to dial the line. The counsellor no go ask you to justify why gambling — of all things — brought you there.

Wetin languages MANI dey support

English dey the default language on the MANI line, and Pidgin dey understood too since e dey close to how many callers naturally talk. MANI say say support for other Nigerian languages fit dey available, but which language dey covered on a given shift fit depend on which counsellor dey on duty at that moment — this one no dey guaranteed the same way every time you call.

If language be your main worry before you dial, mention your preferred language as soon as the counsellor pick up, or check mentallyaware.org for the current, confirmed language coverage before you call. Wetin no dey change: the line dey open regardless, and a counsellor go still try find the best way to support you.

MANI confidential — dem go tell anybody I call?

MANI handle every call with care and privacy, following the organisation’s own confidentiality policy — your identity and wetin you share no dey passed around casually. But e go be dishonest to promise you say confidentiality dey absolute in every single case; standard safeguarding practice across crisis lines worldwide mean say an imminent, specific threat to life fit trigger a duty-of-care exception.

Dat exception dey narrow, and e no be the default. For the huge majority of calls — including calls about gambling shame, debt, or a bad week — wetin you say on the line stay on the line. The support dey there whether or not you dey ready to tell anybody else in your life yet.

Wetin be STAN and how e different from the main helpline

STAN na a suicide-prevention line connected to MANI’s wider work, built to focus tighter on active suicidal crisis — the moment wey somebody get a plan, a timeline, or e feel like the danger dey immediate. The main MANI line, by contrast, cover the full range of mental-health support: anxiety, depression, grief, gambling distress, and suicidal crisis inside dat broader net too.

Current verified contact details for STAN dey pending confirmation at the time of writing — check mentallyaware.org for the latest number before you rely on am as a separate line. Wetin dey certain right now na this: the two main MANI numbers, 0809 111 6264 and 0811 168 0686, dey trained to handle suicidal crisis directly, so you no need locate a separate line before you make the first call.

Wetin if MANI busy — who else you fit call

If you try MANI and the line busy, no give up after one attempt. For gambling-specific support, call Gamble Alert on +234 916 295 7989 — dem dey focus directly on betting-related harm and fit connect you to further support. If danger dey immediate — you or somebody near you dey in physical risk right now — call 112, Nigeria’s national emergency line, or head straight to the nearest hospital’s emergency department.

Try the alternative contact channels on mentallyaware.org too while you dey redial — sometimes a message reach faster than a call during a busy period. The point na this: one busy line no mean say help no dey available. E mean try the next number on the list.

Who to callNumberWetin dem focus onCost
MANI (main line)0809 111 6264 / 0811 168 0686Anxiety, depression, grief, gambling distress, suicidal crisis — 24/7Free
STANNumber pending confirmation — see mentallyaware.orgActive suicidal crisis specificallyFree
Gamble Alert+234 916 295 7989Betting-related harm specificallyFree
112112Immediate physical danger — national emergency lineFree

Conclusion

The MANI mental health helpline Nigeria exists for exactly the moment you dey in right now, whether wetin dey weigh you down na gambling debt, anxiety, grief, or a suicidal thought you no tell anybody yet. Call 0809 111 6264 or 0811 168 0686 — free, confidential, 24/7, no form to fill. If the line busy, Gamble Alert (+234 916 295 7989) and the national emergency line (112) dey there too, and mentallyaware.org get further contact channels if you need dem. You no need carry this one alone — one phone call na the first step, and na okay to take am today.